Some Days
by Mirae-no-sekai
Summary: There were the glory days, when havoc was wreaked, and the falling days, where... well, it was a different kind of chaos. Isa/Lea, platonic and best-friendship stuff. Rated T for... teenage antics in general. Specifics in for you to find out! Hope you enjoy!
1. Chapter 1

Isa had been the one to teach Leon sarcasm, even of neither of them remembers much of it after the fact. Isa because he no longer _is _(but that comes much, much later and far away from sunny days with a younger kid getting the ropes shown in Isa's style), Leon because he had pushed away all thoughts concerning the elder boy teaching him the nuances of actually speaking, as he'd phrased it. And that had actually happened quite soon, even if no-one likes mentioning that squabble within earshot of either of them.

Then again, neither of them was expected to remember that. Although once, in Radiant Gardens, they'd built up encyclopedias of little trivia to test out the other elder boy everyone knew. They'd seek out Lea, find him usually tying his bandanna around his neck. Or laughing at something- guards very nearly catching him again, or the way he'd nearly let that guy win the last spar. The blue-haired one, with the bat.

If Isa was the local sarcastic youth that didn't get into everyone's nerves by just a bit of luck, Lea was the one that did. And the one who could remember every single exploit ever done, from the time he'd replaced lances with brooms to the one theft done to the old duck selling ice-cream. And he'd usually put himself to the test, just to brag that he really could remember anything non-academic you threw at him. Because using his skill in school was cheating the others out of a grade, Lea would say smiling wide and laughing, and everyone would let the arrogance slide.

Except Isa, who'd usually snap up with some comment about how he really can't remember the answers, or the correct technique, or formulas. Or this, or that, he'd add, lounging against one of the low walls surrounding the garden in the central plaza and Lea would keep on smiling. Said that anyways, he didn't need to. He'd figured out another way- and no-one ever knew if it was taking an extra look at the test just before sitting down; slips of paper buried in; or taking circuitous routes and chance to get somewhere. But get there Lea did, much to Isa's thinly-veiled surprise.

Lea was also renowned as a great slacker. Not always- given a drive, Lea was a fairly unstoppable force, but he was content with leaving everything off if he wanted something else. And most of the time, that was schoolwork, or chores, or anything really because he liked keeping it random enough.

Isa was the organized kid, the one that got saddled at times with rambunctious fellow students and pushed to regiment them, just a little, for the good of… someone would come up with something. Or Isa would- he had some sort of vendetta against general disorganization. Just enough to ensure that people didn't mind his near-constant sarcasm. So of course, it was only a matter of time until they- Lea and Isa- ended up together, a last ditch effort to rein Lea in.

The meeting was explosive, to say the least. Lea, of course, remembered the blue-haired guy with the bat. In some sort of fancy sporting outfit, lounging against a wall in the central garden and licking at the last (he'd checked) ice-cream bar a shade lighter than his hair. And Isa still blinked weird from getting color-shocked by the bright red sunburst of hair and the face full of scowling boy he'd received in short notice.

They'd sparred. It had come out pretty even- Lea had range and speed, borne from many times running away from guards and having played Frisbee with a stray dog on a regular basis for ages. Isa had strength- a short temper, to be sure, and Lea nearly had to forfeit when Isa had raged loud enough for the shouts to ring across the bat, but he'd seriously swung at one of the plastic discs and sent it flying over the Castle's main gate.

Local legend says it zoomed into the old King's study, and that's why it just isn't _there_ anymore. Or that it cost_ someone_ an eye, or hit _someone_ up the head. But that's legend- no-one knows how far the disc went inside the Castle grounds. Not even Lea and Isa, who'd sent it there in the first place and who discussed heatedly about who would be the (un)lucky bastard to go pick it up. However many jokes they made about the guards, they weren't at all inept. And the Castle could get dangerous, at least for two guys who didn't pay much attention in science and who _knew_ that there was a mad scientist loose in the place. Kept it running with the weirdest technology and spoke with a man named Tron. So of course, neither of them wanted to be the first one over the gate until they'd figured that one out.

Lea made Isa pay though. In ice-cream, and was just a bit miffed when Isa did the chivalrous thing and_ bought_ it at the exorbitant rate old Mc Duck always sold it- everyone else haggled. Isa didn't only because seriously, seven coins weren't that much at all. And they had perched on one of the walls to lick at the ice-creams, watching the sun crawl to its apex and glare at them. Probably knew they had skipped class- in their defense, they could completely justify it. With about five versions each. But best if they never used them, and so Isa sent an annoyed glare down a couple of streets in his personal way of daring anyone to come close. Lea just flicked his remaining disc with ease up and down- he could almost vanish, and that was as good a talent as any kid wanted.

The ice-creams went quickly enough, even if the afternoon didn't. It was whittled away with sparring matches over who bought the next round, grudging walks to and from the nearest stall with icy treats. Isa trying out some newer jabs on Lea; Lea answering fast and sharp in his own way.

"Used that one already."

"Hmph. So you aren't incapable of noticing."

"I've got them memorized."

"So you can parrot them back on cue?"

An annoyed squawk from the redhead. It was on, again, and they leapt off to the now trampled garden for that one last spar before sundown happened and they had to come up with a decent excuse for-

Lea laughs, long and loud, even if Isa just beat him. Can't stand up even, just sitting there with legs stretched out and disc halfway across the circular plaza. But he laughs, because according to him:

"I _let_ you win that one, by the way. So score is?"

Isa cocks his head, running a tally, except the numbers have blurred into salty-sweet droplets and a dull pain in his arm from the one good hit landed. Last time they'd checked, they'd been seven-to-eight, or the other way around, then it was ten equals and then-

"Can't remember."

"See, I told you I had to keep the score- wouldn't have forgotten halfway through."

"Then what's the count?"

He watches Lea fumble for a while with the long green scarf (as he calls it) wrapped loose around his neck, count off some matches on his fingers. A murmur_- nah, that one didn't count, and there was an underhanded trick there…_

For the record, Lea had tried to tickle Isa. It sort of didn't work. Maybe backfired, just a little. And Isa thinks he isn't counting the time he just went on the offensive against Lea, rushing him blindly (and into one of the walls, ricocheting with only a long scrape up his arm). Or the time Lea chased himself up a tree to hurl down the disc with practiced aim and the cheapest skill ever of managing to make it return. No physics, that's why, Lea had said, and Isa had said that not going to the lesson didn't mean the world stood upside his head. And no, you standing upside down isn't going to work either, Lea, so don't.

Isa helped him anyways- with the getting down the tree bit at least, because one of the guards had sauntered into view and they had to act nonchalant. It involved Lea whistling, Isa kicking the tree and making a woeful attempt at lip-synching to the trill.

They're sure the guy with the dreadlocks didn't buy it at all, but he didn't go after them either. And maybe, they had indeed wasted away a whole day and the guard simply didn't care for kids messing around so long after anything happened.

* * *

The next day, Lea isn't so lucky, and Isa pretty much forces him through the classroom door. And threatens to de-spike his hair, once he figures it out (he _won't_- Lea's made it everything-proof, as tested by everyone who has tried to comb the thing). To not pass the notes along (Isa does so anyway, cannot omit the directive given). To, _oh come on_, to spill the beans on who used suave skills to spirit away a whole box of Old Scrooge's ice-cream.

"Better yet, I'll take the culprit along-"

Lea marches into the room with a pained expression, which does look mocking when Isa isn't keeping watch on him. Which is most of the time, since the teacher had the bright idea of sitting them alphabetical and Lea ended up behind Isa, but that doesn't matter nearly as much as not getting ratted out by his new-found partner. Who is unusually uncooperative about chatting and generally being friendly.

"Oi. He'll leave it there on the board and we can go copy it later. Loosen up."

"I am concerned for my future-"

"Isa my man, I pity your future if it involves…" Lea has to squint a little to make out the title, shoved all the way up in near-illegible script. "Whatever that is supposed to mean. And anyways, they never ask for all this stuff in the tests."

"And I assume you'll just memorize your notes?"

"Right you are. Might teach you the trick if you collaborate with me and keep us amused."

"I am interested in the lesson."

Lea smirks, wide beyond expectations and looking much too feline. Arms crossed, leaning forwards- Isa can imagine a swaying tail, and maybe the long 'scarf' getting caught up in the wind counts just as well.

"Then why have you been chatting away with me for the last, what was it-"

Isa snaps back to attention, and Lea sighs. Pokes around at some guys- the class is history, and he knows that if he-

Bingo. Lea throws a little paper ball, with some inane question 'printed' in (he got one good nearly-typed lettering for the purposes of skiving off one time) and makes it bounce off Milo's oversized glasses. Lea can rely on him to go nearly ballistic on anything historical, as he is doing so now, raising his hand and trying to launch himself into a tirade with the teacher on the merits of whatever it is. Lea waits right up until he hears 'Atlantis' and then turns to Isa. Who is still diligently copying an incomplete board.

"Man, you can just ask for some time at the end to jot it all down. Now, while we wait for the hype to fade off, let's have a chat. Or two. And say, where'd you get the cool moves with the bat? Because seriously, if you managed to…"

* * *

They logically end up in detention, once they wind up talking for a bit too long. And letting slip that maybe they weren't there yesterday, but just maybe. And because a couple of their classmates ended up going up in _'oohs'_ and _'aahs'_ at the lingering marks of battle- the long scrape up Isa's arm, and whenever did he get_ that_; a bruise or two cleverly hidden by Lea's loose clothes made when he crashed down from the tree; miscellaneous scrapes done by zooming disc and, well, tree.

"Mind you, only Lea can get wounds inflicted by a tree."

"You won't see it standing there, by the way."

"Got knocked down by his huge head."

"And he chopped it up into the bat. About five of them, in record time, using my plastic disc."

They go on and on, muttering in the lowest possible tones the stories at the surrounding kids under the same punishment. They should've gotten the full regaling, like the ones in the classroom did, but they're in detention burning away time in a manner more interesting than copying the lines over another sheet of paper. Isa wrote his with uncanny speed (although he'd been rubbing at his wrist on and off for a long time, to a couple well-timed snickers); Lea had a couple sleights of hand that had been creatively hidden. And another pencil, and messy enough handwriting, but it worked.

So now, they regaled the kids. They had Cid complaining that chopping up a tree with a plastic disc wasn't correct, _dammit _(there he goes- apparently, not even older guys can get away with swearing, and they both know he's toning it down in the quiet room with a sonar-gifted invigilator); Yuffie trying to cajole the location of the bats from Isa and turning swiftly to another girl to discuss the liberation strategy. They had the random bunch of even younger kids wide-eyed and asking if they'd really done that.

"Sure. Go ask, er…" Lea fumbles for a while, rushing through the last afternoon before it went away in a blur of sea-salt iciness and laughter punctuated with swings up and down the plaza.

"The guard with the dreadlocks. Saw Isa coming at the tree with the disc-"

"And you shimmying out of it as fast as possible-"

"You had my weapon, no fair to be eviscerated-"

"Oh, you do have vocabulary."

"Along with a rapt audience and two working wrists- what?"

A burst of snickers, followed by the swift and utter silence of an adult approaching with an evil eye. Lea manages to coerce one of the kids- they all call him Nine, and no-one's figured out his name yet, some Class Zero thing- into going along with him for just the one thing.

The kid poked out his tongue, issues a garbled battle-cry of his. The teacher fumbles for a while with the name- he's even stricter with the protocol than Isa is- and settles on Nine when everyone else has picked up the action.

"_Yo_ Isa. Now we vanish?"

The scuffing sounds of chairs moved across the floor and the unsubtle padding of sneakers picking up speed. Lea's a master of this, and has ensured the teacher can't pick up his steps, mostly because he has about half a class worth's of kids swarming him with the same motion. And the odd kids- Yuffie's doing her own weird version of it, hollering for treasure, and the other girl she was talking to whips long braids around and cheers in some strange tongue. Cid is trying to riddle the thing with swears, but mostly comes up with copious '_dammits_' and wide gestures.

It works. They're out again, even if not within basking range, but that is easily fixed.

Lea kicks off a sturdy set of metal lockers, wincing a bit at the clang his sneaker makes, at the rattling of some books left inside. Grabs the edge of the overhang and swings a little. A bit more- hauls up. And swings his legs up, tangling them up in each other to make himself comfortable in the corrugated metal roofing kept cool by the shade of a massive tree. And the Castle walls- the place was built straight under it for some lucky reason.

Underneath, Isa looks up. A bit confused- there's nothing to do on top of the third floor, and no discernible way down. Unless he chooses to jump, that is, and Isa doubts that Lea is sincerely that… well, he has to say idiotic.

"Well, what are you waiting for? With that look of yours, they'll be after us in no time."

"Says who?"

"The guy in the literal last place they'll look."

"You don't say."

Well, in retrospect it really is a lame comeback.

"Come on, get up. Better than being there ogling up at my sneakers."

"They're crap. And about three sizes too large."

"That's what everyone thinks. Now will you, or do I have to pull you up? Don't want to get caught here because you're still in awe of my mad skills."

Phrased that logical way, Isa can't argue. So he makes an attempt at pulling himself into the roof, to Lea's amusement, and ends up stretched out on his stomach watching the peaceful grounds and the windows of cloud-dappled sky peeking out from between trees and structure.

"The Secret Place- I mean, the rooftops. Nothing too exciting here, but I seriously have to show you a couple of my favorites."

"Let me guess- they involve some clambering up stuff?"

"Would ruin the surprise."

* * *

Isa guessed right, of course. But he did miss a couple things- like the way Lea can rattle off some physics while doing this, and that his trick with the disc is possible, maybe just this side of it, with no magic. And if it requires magic, well… they've seen potentially weirder things.

But he says physics, and can joke that pendulums are useful for more than the one lazy class practical, or the characteristics of the light spectrum.

"You know why the sun sets red? Because of all the colors, red is the one that travels the farthest."

"And you'd know why?" Isa means it as a question of the capricious type, and waits for Lea to answer it anyways. He loves talking about sunsets for some reason, and Isa usually doesn't mind getting strung along for a similar talk often.

"Because it's _slow_, I knew you'd make a joke of that, but it beats blue. And blue's fast, so there."

Tongue stuck out, swiftly redirected to the ice-cream bars they (for once) hadn't filched. Legs swing in a rhythm, steady as a heartbeat and it'll get them noticed, but not before they've finished their treats. Isa knows that just because- they'll get noticed once Lea begins to argue in favor of Isa buying another round of the treats because they're friends and stuff. The beat will get thrown off, and that's when they notice.

"Eh, not like it's too much of a difference. You look blue-haired all the time."

"Good thing- can't imagine me looking like you."

Lea grins and near chokes on his ice-cream at the mental image.

"Might have a point there. There'd be too much awesome."

"More like, there'd be critical amounts of entropy."

"Make use of the fact we're not anywhere near education right now-"

"Says the guy behind the sunset logic-"

Lea doesn't argue for more ice-cream today, content with bouncing well-meaning jabs off each other and watching the skies gradually fade to black.

* * *

It had to happen at least once, they had figured. Lea had picked some perch or another, this time close to the fountains. They'd clambered up, Lea picking out handholds and places to rest their feet. Lea was the agile one, all movement and almost slithering up- Isa had always been the less showy one here, just seizing the small juts- and Lea had cracked some joke.

Like literally cracked it, stonework snapping under his words and weight. And Lea had been a blur of red and orange, too fast to stop or seize or call out for before the cacophony of splashes. Curses, a moan or two because there was red staining the faint violet of the stonework and settling in Lea's shirt and Isa's shoes.

He hadn't gone up too high, thank everything. And Lea was whining enough to attract any possible help to them- Isa doubted he could lug him all the way to somewhere with healing possibilities- although maybe the colorful non-swears weren't all appropriate.

Double when it's two girls that find them, one tall and with her hair braided and the other a redhead with flowers.

"Oh! What happened?"

The tall one calls out, already moving towards them. Sinking to her knees, frilly white dress soaking up reddened water, shouting for "Kairi, go get Leon, fast!"

Between the both of them, they haul Lea out of the water. An arm hangs at a pained angle, and one of the legs can't carry even Lea's next-to-nothing weight. Isa drops Lea onto a bench and the girl sets to checking him for further wounds and trying to wipe off some of the blood with the sopping hem of her dress.

Isa doubts it's hygienic, but it's better than he could do, clothes streaked with mud from tussling with his friend earlier and shimmying up walls.

"Aerith! I found Leon!"

The other girl chirps loudly, and wonder of wonders Isa's student comes with a medical kit. And one of those looks that just mean he can't believe he got dragged into this.

"Would've thought the world was ending."

"_Ow!_ Mine's-"

"Out of danger, unless water melts you or something."

"Like she knows what she's doing!"

Aerith- Isa guesses that's her, the girl fixing up Lea with a bandage and a couple antiseptic lotions- tugs vindictively on the bandage wrapped around his foot. Or maybe she's just doing it like it's _supposed _to be done, Isa isn't sure.

"Matter of fact, I do. Can go ask Mr. I'm going to be a guard Leonheart there. Or yourself, I guess. Get yourself to-"

Isa nods, and slings Lea over his shoulder once he begins to complain that like hell he's going there, he'll get his ears blown off once his parents get wind of this.

"Better those than your legs, idiot!"

"How am I ever going to keep you into trouble when they ground me for this?"

"I am sure you'll figure out something."

* * *

Lea does. They 'spar', Lea setting up some odd bins and boxes out in the back of his yard. Technically, it's all the laundry (and trash) he's been stuck with as a chore, and Isa got roped in because of Lea selling him out as an accomplice. Or to get some help, since he can't exactly carry the aforementioned bins and boxes on his own with one sprained ankle and one broken arm.

But he's going to make a proper mess of the clothes first, he says, because they're not really dirty anyways and Reno's been a pain, throwing out everything that has even a wrinkle. Isa won't say it's payback for the last time, but even he thinks the elder sibling might've gone a tad overboard. Or finally gotten the hammer for his lack of cleanliness.

"So, scared of the big bad boxes Isa?"

"Just calculating where I need to hit them so they land on your face."

"Hey!"

Isa prepares himself, running full tilt to whack at one of the boxes with his bat. It doesn't even come close to moving though, weighed down as it is. Isa swings again, again,_ again_, each sweep wider and he tried to put as much strength behind the movement as he can.

A change in strategy. Arms raised, knees bent, bat poised above his head-

_Thwack_, downwards slice. He's seen it once, in a flick shown in history lessons. Doesn't work either, but he dents the top of it deep enough.

"Told ya Reno threw everything in. Included a couple of bodies probably."

Isa goes in for another swing, same trick. Hands swiping low and across this time, he thinks this is possible anyways-

It moves, slightly. Another one, because he's close and he can. Should. Another, another, fast as he can and as strong as speed makes them, momentum gathering strong behind the assault and it's moving, bending inwards, dull thwack of cloth shuffled inside. Step by step. Isa's blind now, immersed in the rhythm of the swings and changing targets, going fast as possible so that the frenzied pulse doesn't stop, _can't _stop-

"_Ow_!"

That breaks him. Stops him dry, Lea curled up into a ball atop his makeshift perch on the porch of his house. A bruise blossoms on Lea's shin, under hands rubbing up and down.

"Sorry, but you did say take out the trash."

"Remind me to exact some sort of vengeance on you later."

"Never thought I'd see the day when you wouldn't have a creative plan for trouble."

"I do have one, but it requires function of my legs. So you will have to amuse yourself thinking of the possibilities while I take my ages to heal."

Isa doesn't even have to ask if there's a limit on the number for those.

* * *

And it's _obvious_, beyond obvious. Isa _really_ should've seen this coming.

"Hurry up!"

"You're in such a hurry to break your arm again?"

"Killjoy. And I'm not going to fall sitting down, but I'm visible."

"Please tell me you thought this through."

"That is _your _job Isa."

"And how was I supposed to do it without knowing we were going to do this?!"

Lea shuts up for a moment. He's catching sunlight, dappled shadows trailing down his arms and down the wall. Behind him, the castle rises and gardens better tended than the city ones spread out wide.

Isa's always wondered what those are for. He supposes it's for training exercises, or playing Frisbee- Lea could kick any teams' behind though, playing solo, if he's to be believed there- but Isa can vouch for him, well enough. Maybe not the solo bit.

So Isa clambers up the last few feet up the wall, mimicking as best as possible Lea's route. He can map them well, after endless hours staring at walls and memorizing the routes he'd take with his speed or Isa with his strength. They sit up there, under the leafy shadow and watch the gardens warily. Neither of them managed to see much of a guardsman patrol- for security reasons, both of them assumed- but that didn't mean they weren't there.

Lea leaps down first, low-hanging branches and air and then thick bushes and long, soft grasses. Shuffles to the side, Isa tracking the movement until he's far away enough to not be taken down by the landing. It's harder to do so than initially thought, Lea managing to have some measure of stealth despite his shocking red hair. And even being fast while concealing himself- by the time Isa's down and searching the interior gardens for anything, Lea's halfway over to one of the tall walls. Ducking behind some floral arrange or another, scrabbling up some stonework, and shooting down when he hears rustling too faint to be Isa.

Also, too faint to be a proper guardsman. Isa thinks it's Kairi, because she unofficially has the run of the place, or the King plain loves her like another daughter. And there has to be a place where she gets the large bouquets she likes to carry around, and they're definitely not Aerith's- the elder girl would never let even her younger near-sister make off with so many so frequently- and they're too pretty to be from the regular gardens.

Lea thinks it's some guard, because they do pick young boys at times. New recruits, or kids who opted out of some lessons to take up military: they know for a fact Leon will do this, as will Cid probably, and Isa wanted to go in because he'd look nice in a suit and get a stable system. Like Isa would get one, with Lea around, but Lea does understand what his best friend means by that.

In the end, it's neither. It's a boy younger than them, curled to an incomprehensibly small size. Dressed in a lab coat, which seriously freaks Lea out- being honest, Isa is surprised too, he can't believe any organization would pick anyone this young- and staring up quietly at them from under a fringe that covers most of his face.

Staring too quietly. Lea gets over his freak-out and deems the young boy some sort of garden gnome and dismisses the movement as birds or mice. Makes as if to move forwards-

The boy moves, visibly startled. Doesn't duck out of Lea's way, the older boy's movements passing over him pretty harmlessly. No one is sure if it was by accident or design- knowing Lea, he just assumed the kid wouldn't stay really still and he made the movements sweeping on purpose- but the kid does suddenly shift towards mild annoyance. Or something like that, if Isa's charitable describing emotions.

Some more rustling from the foliage around them, and they all stay beyond quiet for it.

When the sounds have passed, Isa looks around for the boy, but he's gone- through where, no one knows- and Lea is mouthing words not-so-silently. They aren't curses yet, but Isa gets the point- move on, the guards are coming- and knows better than to remain in that position for long.

* * *

They do get caught in the end, but not before Lea has recovered his disc- which was interestingly caught up in a tree, stickers peeling and sun-faded- and to be fair, Lea did manage to get them all the way over to the large doors that mark the entrance proper to the castle.

He got them a bit lost in the way, walking through a water way and what seemed like the generator, but Lea did say that he had the map memorized. Which map, Isa never knew, but he did get as full a tour as any uninvited visitor was like to get.

And as Lea points out, grumbling all the way back to the entrance to the whole complex, they only got trumped by the pair of guards stationed just at that door. And they'd been an _epic _service, hadn't they, pointing out a couple of flaws in the sys-

"Lea, shut up before they come up with a system you can't beat."

"Don't think that exists. And anyways there was the other kid sneaking around! And he's tiny!"

This does get the guards to stop their escort out. One of them- the taller one, with the short axe- drops his hand from Isa's shoulder and sends a pointed look at Lea. Who is understandably cowed, if nothing else because he might've just gotten in trouble seriously, for once in his life and he doesn't want to be the kid with guardsmen explaining mischief to the parents.

Isa keeps his wariness down, preparing himself to come in Lea's defense- the kid most definitely wasn't with them, even had a _lab coat _on- when the other guard makes a cutting motion.

"He-hey… he so wasn't _ours_…"

"We'll negotiate. You find Ienzo, since we have duties to return to, and you are allowed here for the moment. Additionally, this trespassing will not be reported."

"You know, we could do that with a reward-"

"Ignore Lea, he hit his head while walking here. Of course we-"

"Isa!"

* * *

They don't exactly comb the place. Lea's more concerned with exploring the place properly and finding something to add to his legendary exploits while out of here. Or teasing Isa a bit about everything, such as him looking a bit like the cadets or having some epic tracking skills (Isa had found the disc after all, even if Lea had recovered it). And chasing a dog that had gotten in, for the sake of easing up on the guards.

Isa ended up joining Lea for that, since the dog did show more focus than his friend, as he pointed out, and anyways he liked dogs. So they made the point of wasting enough time to call the search off, or plead chores at home or some nonsensical excuse…

Then the boy walks right in front of them, eerily nonchalant and with a flower- of all possible things- pinned behind his ear. And a girl loudly skipping by his side, filling in enough conversation for three with a fairy tale and how look, there are the boys you mentioned!

Kid doesn't look exceedingly pleased, but he doesn't really look anything. He's neutral, assessing them and their canine companion. The girl- later proven to be Kairi, because who else would go around here so freely- is busy petting the dog and trying to get Ienzo ("So this was the kid we got sent to find?") to come closer, it doesn't _bite_. And doesn't look too dirty either, aside from the unflattering fur color.

It's a useful way to herd the kids all the way to the guards, Isa calling at the dog to move along every few minutes. Lea swinging up the little girl over his shoulders, and her cheering (way too loud and way too shrill) leading the young boy along. It's slow going, to be sure- Isa has never known Lea to not be easily distracted, and he's playing along with the younger kids, of course- but they manage to arrive in sync with the sunset.

"Hey, talk about coincidence." That's Lea, because he's the one who always notices sunsets and it is eerily well-timed. For starters, they did manage to retrieve their 'targets' before sundown…

And also, Lea gets to launch himself into his sunset-speech.

"Do you know why the sun sets red?"

Isa barks out some laughter when Ienzo, with more energy than he's shown up to the moment, darts and weaves to retrieve a book Lea had 'confiscated' (which meant, usually, pass it between Isa and himself at random intervals). Gets his hands on the thick tome; rushes through many pages by memory or intuition, Isa doesn't know or care (he's amused with Lea's confused expression at the moment); presents a page at the redhead. Still looks neutral, but Isa would guess he is pleased by finding the information requested.

Kairi smiles from her perch atop Lea's shoulders, and squints to read the title. Gives up halfway through, as expected, because both older boys had to re-read the same line thrice to understand the short little line.

"You know, I think this proves the existence of a mad scientist. Look at what he did here."

And this time, Isa's laughter is closer to what Lea deems appropriate.

* * *

It's too late to get ice-cream by the time they walk out. They considered going to Aerith's place- her family always has a million treats- but the girl is a tad lethal with her cooking, and is old enough to be let into the kitchen to help out with some ice-cream.

Leon's is out of the question. He probably doesn't know what ice-cream tastes like, or maybe he does, but doesn't eat it much. Which means that he probably doesn't have any to spare for them, or he'd have some flavor like lime-lemon or pineapple which are awful (according to Lea).

And all the stores are closed by now, even the exceedingly expensive one run by the moogles. Lea didn't believe it ever closed, and to be frank neither did Isa. But closed it was, light-up signs turned off and displays shuttered with thick silver.

Now, after this most boys would amble defeated back home. Or maybe to just one of their homes, claiming an impromptu sleep-over due to some project that may or may not exist (let alone be due tomorrow). Isa is all for that, even being about to suggest the idea to Lea.

Then he sees that he is being gradually steered to the central gardens, up the low walls and staring up at the starry skies. Or not so starry- too many buildings reach up to tear down the sparkling blackness, and the moon hangs glaring in the middle- but Isa supposes it works anyways.

"We have to go do that again, you know. But this time-"

"Your princess is in another castle Lea."

"And ye cannot get ye _fun_, Isa. I mean it- we very nearly got past the guards. And you saw what Kairi did to them."

An image of a little girl tugging at long hair bound in a tail and little braids, arguing that they aren't well done. The young boy soundlessly roping the other guard into letting Kairi play dress-up with impunity, at least until both of them noticed Isa, Lea and the dog barely repressing snickers.

They'd lost the dog while trying to get out of lance range. And earshot- the latter more urgently than the former, since Lea really wanted to laugh his heart out and Isa wanted to join him somehow.

"I can't imagine you_ arranging _those circumstances again."

"I thought best friends are meant to give support."

"We are. If it makes sense to be supporting. Right now…"

"Well, we'll use your charms next time, see how far we get."

Here, Isa wisely shuts up. For all his usually-fiery displays, Lea can pull off these things. And make a smooth escape most of the times- the guards were one of the weird exceptions. One of the few times when they couldn't slink away in time, or when they'd been hopelessly stuck.

More like Isa had been hopelessly stuck, as Lea had teased him for long enough. He'd been enough of a good friend to stick by him then. A bit of a nuisance, to be sure, Isa had commented offhand without meaning it deep down. He'd missed the last spot check.

"Point to me."

"Remind me how's the score going?"

Isa breaks into one of his rarely-seen grins when Lea snaps his mouth shut and turns back pointedly to the stars above. Truth is, Isa doesn't know… but he's sure Lea does, and he won't give a report until they're well and away from a tie. Or when Lea's losing. Might be either- since Lea likes big leads, for clarity's sake- and it doesn't really matter anyways.

"But I'll take you up on your inane plan."

* * *

They did end up stargazing (like total girls, but who cares, they'd nearly-snuck into the castle) all night and well into the blush of dawn. In mostly silence, because Lea might've slipped into a nap or two at times and Isa was never too talkative in the best of days.

They'd mumbled stories frayed. And set up a plan, mostly involving misdirecting and diversions. A trap baited with sea-salt ice-cream, because no one at all could seriously resist that. They had at a certain point discussed landing themselves in detention for proper sleep, or doing the student thing and sleeping all through every lesson. Isa shot both down, drowsily and maybe not entirely coherent, but he's supposed to be the responsible one. Lea already got his fun planning the second infiltration.

But when the new day finishes dawning, and they catch the far off sight of Leon strolling through one of the streets that eventually leads to the school, they decide that everyone else needs some good helpings of Lea cranking out story after story before he passes out.

So Isa shoves him off the wall, calling out that he better figure out how to land, before swiftly following him down.

Lea laughs and whines all the way.

* * *

A.N. – oh man, I can't believe I wrote this ^^; In any freaking case… I might've had too much fun with external references, characterization liberties and some time-warping action. My sincerest apologies in case any of those hindered your enjoying!

Or in layman's terms: Possible OOC, I don't know what a timeline is or how this fits, and suddenly characters walked in for the fun of it. Hope you didn't mind my randomness too much!

In any case, thanks so much for putting up with this… even in its incomplete (hopefully) non-crappiness and I swear I'll be somewhat more consistent with this. Maybe.

See you around!


	2. Chapter 2

To Isa's non-surprise, Lea is fast asleep in some class, lulled by the constant drone of the teacher and head slumped into books. Too many to be all Lea's, and Isa knows at least half of them have to be his own because Lea's always borrowing them.

And for some reason, Isa isn't minding too much. Maybe because he isn't drooling this time, or waving melting ice-cream dangerously near the books. After that one time he did, Lea knows better. But now Isa knows that forcing the other boy to study is as good a 'punishment' as any, made better if Isa insists on anything but his prodigious memory.

("But Isa, I already told you, in your own freaking overcomplicated words, the equivalent to the entire textbook. I'm free!"

"No you aren't. Do so in your words."

A hiss from Lea, slumped on a bed with a textbook covering his face. Hands making gestures that fail to become really attacking, then making as to pick up the tome. At least away from Lea's mouth.

"Things happen when blah blah blah and a formula and red is the slowest color in the electromagnetic spectrum and another formula and mind-numbing Isa-text. More things happen. There, I'm done. Ice cream stand, here I-"

"Again. Less vague."

"Isa, stuff it.")

From further away than expected, the teacher warbles something about an impending erasure of the board and all questions to be asked now. The scrawled-out contents of the board are much different from what Isa has in his own notebook, and he swiftly realizes that even asleep Lea can distract him, and that there is no way in any conceived universe that he's managing to copy all of that.

… Lea probably owes him one preemptively, or for this. Just because.

* * *

And the redhead keeps up the trick of not being conscious for any lesson. Isa supposes that whatever they said in the star-gazing session the last night stuck, or at least the things beyond Isa agreeing with Lea's whatever plans. Which would probably work out to be little more than spiriting themselves into the ice cream stash and making away with a couple bars, or trying to get Aerith to let them inside the flower shop for once. Lea's probably sleeping because he's a lazy bum who can mooch and charm the lessons from anyone else.

Isa rolls his eyes, and in the wee moments of wakefulness Lea has to traverse the school grounds, he makes sure no-one has a notebook on hand. Lea got himself in this, he can well get himself out of it.

* * *

"Oh come on, Isa, won't you give your pal-?"

"I'm not going to lend you the notes."

"Didn't want to hear that, but anyways that wasn't what I was going to ask."

That piques Isa's interest. And he tries to run himself through a list, because every time Lea says something to that effect something happens.

The first time, it was hiding all of Reno's shades. All of them, and neither Isa or Lea will ever comprehend why Lea's elder brother kept so many, just before he tried to set off with Rude and Elena. Nearly made it too, but they were missing two pairs and found no better alternative than wearing them when Reno went on the warpath.

Next time it was the moogles. Leon's house, a huge affair wonderfully kept and full of kids that they later realized wasn't exactly Leon's house and not all the kids were Leon's siblings. Aerith's, because they'd confused it with her flower shop and ended up helping her with a busted flower cart.

The school, because Lea had decided that all the spooky stories about the building had to be true. He'd even managed to cobble a list- or more like get an accomplice to do so, there were more people involved in that one that Isa remembers- of all the things to prove. They didn't take it along, due to Lea boasting about his skill endlessly and Isa realizing that they could easily misplace that in the school. None of them save Isa himself was of the orderly kind, and the handwriting could be easily traced… not to mention, there weren't that many people who would try something like that anyways. A long, long list of outings that Isa can't exactly remember beyond hours of detention (who would've thought it of him) and coming to know all the faces in the room on a closer level than expected.

Last, the castle, but that had been retribution (according to Lea) and an idiotic venture (according to Isa). That had been an obligation long-postponed and anyways, they could've asked the guards and saved themselves the trouble of looking for a little boy. Alien. Scientific experiment or whatever.

Lea hasn't spoken though. The tap on his nose to request more attention is suspiciously absent, the faraway noise from milling crowds too low to muddle whatever Lea could say.

"Ask what?" Isa prompts, expecting Lea to be dozing off again. He readies a hand to lightly tap him on the head even, since that trick always works-

"Stargazing last night. You really did mean it, about following me around, right?"

"Paraphrasing the entire conversation… yes. I'll regret the decisions of my semi-conscious self later."

"You'll regret the decision of your conscious self later more like, Isa. But okay, that will do." Lea waves a hand in the air, appeasing and joking. Grabs Isa by the arm and strides confidently to the ice cream stand.

"I will not tolerate you nicking ice cream either."

"Even if that was what I wanted to do with you?"

"I'd go back on a promise, yes. We are not running away from an irate duck again, unless you want Reno-"

"Like that would hurt me, Isa-"

"To figure out why he never has any hair gel."

Stunned silence, not even broken by Lea's arm grabbing the door knob and jingling the entrance bells, or the squeak of trainers on somewhat-tiled floor.

"Fine. You would do so anyways Isa…" Devilish smile, because it isn't Lea if that isn't there, "… but no more disagreeing, 'kay? I expect you-"

"To have that memorized", they both intone in sync, Isa sounding bored of the phrase already. Lea acting thrilled that he's gotten Isa to use the phrase, and for a moment he makes believe it'll be the whole town.

But that would be too small scale for Lea. Better to have an exploit than a quote, and better to have a team than go alone. Or as Isa would say, there has to be someone to pick up your slack Lea.

And back to the present, because Lea's drifted off. He always does, to the annoyance of Isa, but in a way, Lea never has.

It's just that he never fully shares a plan, or never fully has one. For now though…

"So, since now you're bound to do me one favor."

"If it doesn't involve any sort of material theft."

"If it doesn't involve any sort of stuff Yuffie or Rikku would do, we're doing it now."

Isa actually stops. They'd been mostly still before, having plopped down over a raised flower bed some distance away from McDuck's stall, but this is a different kind of still. A coiled still, muscles tensed for impending action or an impending talking to. Legs not swinging lazily, the half-kicks focused on the concrete surface behind them.

"Not now-now, but more like as soon as it's sneaky enough now."

"Lea, you mean either nighttime, when whatever's abandoned-"

"Not that last one, Castle's never abandoned. Mad scientists, remember?"

Lea does. From the rumor mill going around the kids to the constant beleaguered murmurs of the old lady down the street. And of course, to the time they'd gone there, snuck in for a Frisbee.

The kid had been damn near robotic, like the machinery pumping clean water through town. The guards too, although that might just have been the strict training they're supposed to go through so they walk in sync. And for being gardens, and them being rascals scurrying around underbrush and vine-covered walls, they'd returned amazingly clean, barely even reeking of mulch and flower. An antiseptic palace, and Lea had almost thrown Isa into the nearest trashcan to make sure that no, he wasn't ignoring his allegedly disgraceful state.

Clean and orderly and somehow wrong in the way the gleaming pavestones look so very healthy at times. Mossy green from the reflection of vain stalks of grass and shy flowers. Deader than dead though, and Lea knows that underneath there's five feet of solid concrete veined with pipes and electrical support for the place and magic lines to keep everything running as intended.

"Lea, I doubt that-"

"Isa, no one who's mad looks like it. It's cliché and even crazy people know it. Come on, nighttime is kind of vague."

"Disregarding the sanity of the dwellers, I'm calling into question yours. I don't have to tell you to remember", nearly getting caught, or left in holding with the guards. One of the few times when Isa's natural seriousness had played against them, despite Lea's best efforts to reassure them of being much younger than his geezer-minded best friend made them look like. Gaining a way out on a sweet technicality of a lost experiment-boy and then a round of stargazing.

"No you don't. But which detail? The exact constellations, which side of the comic scratched into the bench you ended up sitting-"

"The bit where we almost got caught the first time. And whose fault was it."

"Genetics gave me red hair, it is most definitely not my own conscious fault. In any case…"

"I owe you one ridiculously irresponsible act. I will shamelessly sell you in if we get caught."

Lea laughs out loud at that, at Isa having to take long pauses in between the words to maintain his trademark deadpan.

"Then, Isa my friend, I'll just have to make sure we don't get caught. Up for the tactics breakdown?"

* * *

It's a nighttime sortie. Isa should've expected it, when most of their preparation came from varied action films and Lea, and he came as prepared as commanded to.

Dark clothing. His clothing was already a suitable blue-ink, and after some maneuvering Isa had managed to stuff most of his hair into a knit woolen hat. A pair of black gloves, nicked from Reno by Lea and handed over, because fingerprints would be a dead giveaway and they would show on brassy doorknobs and window panes or frames. A flashlight, the smallest one he could find, although Isa would've rather had a powerful one. Lea was probably counting on the moonlight, or (in)conveniently forgetting that films had camera crews. And the small pocket knife with an inordinate amount of extras that his father had given him, to prepare when he became a guard proper and got his own. Lea thought it was an important part of the getup, although Isa had his doubts. Were they caught, that would be hardest to explain… and he was unwilling to ditch it, if it came to that. It would only raise more questions, found in the field or discarded after prying a lock open unskillfully.

They also meet somewhere quite conspicuous, although not exactly high profile. It's just common for them, the rooftop three stores behind Mc Duck's. It's the easiest one to climb up, and one of the few stores in which the storeowner doesn't live, but no one thinks to look up there. Or can, since a couple huge trees took well to that backyard and so many climbing flowers swallowed up the space between branches. A perfect hollowed-out hideout for two boys, even if they are quite cramped.

"Good one Isa. Now, you ready?"

Lea's sickle-grin is visible. Tries to swipe Isa up in the enthusiasm that will get them caught, or maybe it doesn't but Lea doesn't mind it. It's the adventure, he says, it's getting the prime data on whatever on the worlds are the scientists doing and why they'd requested so many volunteers out of classes lately.

"C'mon Isa, this should be the questions you needle me for being idiotic about."

"Because you usually are."

"Great. So, ready?"

Isa just nods, and follows Lea's plummet down to the pavement.

* * *

They're too noisy. Or maybe it's just Radiant Gardens that is so quiet, making their steps resound despite their care. Isa looks around every corner, shambling from shadow to shadow, while further away Lea slinks and glides with ease. They're spaced apart, so in the event of getting caught one can escape, but not so far to prevent Isa from signaling Lea that something is coming.

So far, they've caught an upended trashcan, a rustle of windblown leaves and a dog. Probably the same from last time, since it licks placidly at Isa's hand before departing and doesn't even bother with a bark. And so far, Lea's whined a bit, that with how jumpy Isa is now the guards will see them from miles away.

"Not that we even are literally that far, Isa, but you know what I mean."

The alluded just scowls and keeps moving forwards, finding the brick and concrete walls, the wrought iron gates. Turning to wave Lea over, who of course wandered a bit too far off-course. By night, they can't really risk the plants winding on the side or the tall trees- not enough light to really distinguish the branches, but enough to make thick shadows of bushes in the ground that mingle too much with the actual soft landings. And anyways, Lea insisted on such a thing, saying it added something… adventurous to it. Much to Isa's chagrin, but at least it's easier to clamber up.

Atop the gate, Isa sees a winding road he doesn't recognize beyond the first ten or so feet, some manicured gardens and, in the distance, some castle entrance. It isn't the route they took the first time around, but that's no important matter. Lea jumps down first, after calling out a couple choice names at Isa to stop his stalling, but they don't particularly work.

A bobbing light in the distance does though. Isa drops, crouching further on landing and scuttling to fall under an overhang's shadow. Hoods on clothing are pulled down, bangs held behind and breaths held. The light drifts off, and Lea nearly laughs out.

"Isa, I do freak easier than you. No telling that to anyone." Like Isa would, he stayed silent only because of a timely shove of his face into dewy grass by Lea's elbow. Or maybe also some of his own volition being aimless.

They wait for a while, until the light from someone else's patrol comes and goes again. It's a shoddy way to measure the time they have, but Lea moved before Isa realized it, pulling the other boy along. Then it's scuttling from bush to bush, creeping up a couple low brick walls and then dropping into another path, this one more familiar. They don't follow the paved, winding stretch, hurling themselves behind some trashcans and nearly toppling one. They're mostly empty- "creepy", Lea says, "only because you can't imagine living without being a mess" Isa answers fast before Lea launches himself into a quick dream-theory- and ring quite loudly when they bump against their metal bodies or resettle the lids.

Again into some low bushes, then into a couple of trees, then pressed into a wall. There's a guard that just won't move away, light patrolling in an arc that very nearly sets Lea's face aflame and licks at leaves like it knows they're there. A hiss, and maybe it was Isa or Lea or some little animal in the night, because it's the guy from last time with the dreadlocks and the lance and "finally, I was getting paper-flat there" he moves.

They rush in, cutting the corner and Lea clips his arm on brick. Air smells a bit of rust and curses, but it's nothing, he says, I'll give you something to make you stop if he catches us.

"Lea, I bet you still can't."

"Showoff." He mumbles, and slinks forwards, blindly grasping at a stretch of walls. A pleased gasp reveals that they managed to make it to the inner gate, the one that leads into the castle proper. It isn't manned at this hour, at least not on the outside- there are already enough guards patrolling the grounds, and the usual two need sleep as much as the next person over. Isa had always thought it was bad planning, but now he doesn't argue. Not much at least, lest they get caught because of complaining within earshot.

The tall, wide double doors are firmly locked and bolted anyways. No need for guards with that, they guess, since everything they brought to pick locks with is too small to work. To be fair, it was only Isa's pocket knife, but even then- that thing probably needed a proper key and not whatever half-baked substitute they could come up with…

Footsteps.

They're muffled- too much to be from a heavy-booted guard- and somewhat far away. Isa guesses that they come from within, and signs to Lea that they could sneak in if whoever it is opens the door. More like barge in, but if they do it fast enough, it doesn't matter.

But rather than an unlocking click, or a leisurely pace, the steps only pick up in speed. There's a tap from shoes on tile, and Lea mutely laughs at the fact that whoever's inside is panting after barely seconds of running. Then raps at the door, loud and urgent-

"Someone open! There's an-"

A gasp, and whoever was there sets off again, running until the steps fade in the distance. Lea clips in, saying something that vaguely registers as 'so cliché' and then-

"Isa, I'm still going in. None of your logical instincts."

"Lea, that doesn't make sense."

"Neither does staying here. And oh come on, if this is the only entrance on this side I'll eat hair gel. There has to be a service entrance of sorts. Cleaning guys, or trainees or kids sneaking in entrance…" He drifts off, clicking a flashlight on. They had traversed most of the place in darkness, so the thin beam of light startles Isa, making him jump a bit and turn his back on Lea.

"You idiot I bet a guard sees that-"

"Which is why you keep an eye out for them Isa, and I look for the entrance-"

"Assuming there's one, let's go back. I paid back in full already."

Lea stills a minute, and then pumps a hand up in the air. Whatever it is, he found it and Isa still doesn't turn, doesn't take his eyes away from a stretch of night and sloping stairs and crept-up walls. Then he's calling back, whispering that he's going in anyways-

"You want to stay or go, do so. No selling me though, got you here safe!"

And Lea's off. Sneakers don't make as much of a noise, and when they grow silent Isa cants a look back. A smaller door gapes open, latch picked and left loose- Isa really shouldn't have left Lea with the knife, should've asked for it back once the attempt on the main door failed- and beyond that nothing. Lea took a flashlight, and Isa still has his. He could follow…

… well, as it is, with a door unlocked the guards will catch them anyways. Isa's strong suit was never stealth, he muses, and rather than going on something as clumsy as instinct he'd follow Lea. At least unplanned events worked out for him in the end.

* * *

Isa sees nothing. There aren't many windows, and those that are there are covered by heavy curtains. He's into a wide corridor now, at least, rather than a side passage, and he's realizing that flashlights actually light up a room more than imagined. He can cut through the width of the corridor, or sweep out for a good distance in front.

There's no beam further ahead though, so either Lea's fast (probable) or Isa took a wrong turn somewhere (more probable). There have been curtained windows for quite a while now, and if the motion of drawing the thick fabric wasn't so obvious to any observer, Isa would've done so already. Not that faint moonlight could do much against this brand of silky darkness, but a flashlight can and Isa would only have to explain himself to any who crossed his path.

He's come up with ways already to excuse himself and Lea (without overtly selling him out), and is jumpy at the chance of having to test them out. At least, having guards inside would be an improbable thing, Isa guesses, since they did have to take a circuitous and incredibly uncomfortable route to get here in the first place.

In the distance, Isa sees a small bobbing light. It doesn't exactly cut through the darkness, more content with being a little shimmering globe somewhere up ahead. Probably one of the really old-fashioned models some people kept, or a spare brought by Lea (since he never has any working batteries on him, and those run on magic words).

Getting closer, Isa sees it is two little lights, and they skitter and shuffle across the place, moving without much of a path. Just there, unaware of a young man taking paused steps nearer. They fade off after a while, with a muted rustle, and Isa doesn't think much of them.

Further ahead, Isa sees Lea slumped on the ground, drooling into the velvety carpet and flashlight clearly out of any sort of power.

He runs.


End file.
